Assessing or Reporting Damage

It will provide proof of loss for insurance claims and disaster relief assistance.

It will help you figure out cleanup and salvage priorities.

It will be useful for potential legal action.

The Documentation Drill

1. Always wear protective gear, and never work alone.

2. Photograph or videotape the damage.

After a major disaster, record overall conditions and typical examples of problems.

After a small-scale disaster, record overall conditions and individual items.

3. Make a rough estimate of the nature and severity of the damage to the building and contents (again, the level of detail should be based on the scale of the disaster). Try to handle materials and objects as little as possible during your inspection.